Devil May Cry: Road to Redemption
by Kairu-Blackstar
Summary: The twin sons of Sparda return from the Underworld. Vergil takes the time to bond with his family, and finds himself experiencing the humanity within that he abandoned so long ago. (Set after DMC5, and more or less a reboot of my Of Fathers and Brothers story.)
1. Chapter I: No More Running

In the unknown depths of the underworld, two familiar faces walked together in search of a rift, a way back to the human world. Dante, and Vergil had taken their time in wandering the strange world that their father had once called home.

"Gotta say Vergil, you seem to have a better idea of where we're going. The minute we get back however, I'm calling dibs on the shower." Dante said as he followed his twin brother through the landscape.

"We aren't far from the rift. Which only means that demons will be attracted to it too, so getting rid of them should simplify our exit." Vergil spoke with a hint of relief before stopping suddenly in his tracks.

First came shock, then came anger, an all too familiar foe waited below the blackend chasm, unaware of the twin son's presence. The older brother felt his anxiety shoot up as he remembered how the last fight with him did not bode well.

"Mundus. . ." Vergil whispered, his grip tightening on Yamato. The Demon King had put him through years of unspeakable torture, eventually coruppting him, and turning him into the black knight, Nelo Angelo.

Dante noticed how his brother took a step back, sensing the ancient demon too, leaving a bad taste in his mouth, like a pizza topped with a thousand olives.

_"Seeing Vergil step back like that. . . That's not like him at all."_ The red clad brother thought, both saddened, and angered by Vergil's hesitation.

They both had lost their mother to Mundus's minions, and the two were seperated at a young age, one believing the other was dead. However, certain events would transpire, from their conflict in Temen-Ni-Gru, to their recent fight on top of the Qliphoth tree. The twin brothers no longer held any animosity between them, and all it took was Vergil's son; Nero, to knock some sense into the two.

Looking down the chasm, Dante caught a glimpse of the grotesque, deformed Mundus. He felt the urge to just jump, and slaughter every demon that surrounded Mundus like a parasitic swarm, but he resisted because he was more concerned about his brother's well being. Noticing how quiet Vergil was, Dante moved beside him, placing his hand on the older twin's shoulder, managing to grab his attention.

"Verge. . . You alright?" Dante asked, taking a more serious face instead of his usual cocky attitude.

"I tried to fight him once, and I failed to even lay a damn scratch. . ." Vergil looked down, only for Dante to respond in his usual chirpy manner.

"This time is different Vergil. The way I see it? We can add killing a wannabe god to our resumè. If I can beat him, so can you brother."

"Dante-" Vergil was interuppted with a playful smack across the head, followed by his brother's "words of wisdom".

"We're stronger than ever, and now that you're back together, it's time for us to go home. But first, we gotta tear Mundus a new asshole."

"What home?" Vergil snapped, keeping his tone of voice in check.

"Ours. I'm not leaving you behind brother, and I'd rather not get bitch slapped by Nero again for leaving you here." The memory of Nero slapping Dante made Vergil smirk.

"I did tell him that I'd be back for my book. I owe him a rematch on top of that." Vergil slicked his hair back, his confidence more or less restored.

"That's the brother I know. So what do you say we do this for our parents?" Dante summoned his namesake sword, resting it on his shoulder, his eyes turned red for a brief moment, a dark grin formed on his face.

"For Mother, and Father. . . Your logic is sound Dante, but the greater question remains. Can we demonstrate the true power of the sons of Sparda?" Vergil bounced back with another question, his eyes briefly glowing.

"You bet your ass we can!" Dante said aloud before leaping into the blackened abyss, shifting into his true devil form.

Vergil took a deep breath, readying himself for the battle ahead.

_"__No more running. This time Mundus, this fight will be your last." _And with that thought, he jumped into the black abyss, his resolve clear as glass.

Mundus's body was nothing more than a shadow of his former self. His appearence had only worsened with the passing of time, heavily resembling a deformed angel, with a spider-like body, a mixture of stone, blackend blood, and the three eyes in the center of it. Beneath the demon king's "feet" was a large group of lesser demons, worshipping, and chanting his name in tribute.

"The rift will open soon, and with my loyal servants, I will return to the human world with more power, and with that, I will eradicate all of humanity! Especially that filthy creation of mine; Trish. Then the son of Sparda will face my wrathful vengeance, and he will fall, just like his family. . ." Mundus spoke aloud to his minions, their chanting growing louder, and louder as they begun to move slowly towards the rift.

Their movements stopped as they heard an incoming roar from above. The demons could only see not one, but two glowing dots, seemingly moving closer at an alarming speed. Their first instinct was to attack, some threw fire, some threw bolts, but the dots did not stop, seemingly unharmed by the endless barrage.

The dots began to take shape as they descended, both radiating a raw, unleashed, and powerful aura. The demons soon began to run towards the Rift, desperately trying to avoid the incoming duo that was about to make an impact. But, it was all for nought as the two demons drew their weapons, aiming for the center of the landscape. The demon king's minions were too late as the duo rammed their weapons into the ground, creating their own supernova. Mundus shielded himself from the blast, using whatever strength he had to stop himself from being consumed by whatever power that was unleashed.

After a few minutes, the light dissapaited, a crater in the middle of the landscape had formed, and only two figures remained standing. Mundus's army was reduced to only a handful, consisting of Phantoms, Blitz, Assaults, and Frosts.

"No. . . That's not possible. . ." Mundus said as his eyes focused on the duo that emerged in the center, their demonic forms fading as they stood up.

Dante, and Vergil stood before Mundus, like proud knights. The red clad demon hunter smirked as he begun to look at the damage he, and his brother caused.

"Now that's how you make an entrance." Dante said. "Wouldn't you agree brother?" He turned to his twin in question.

"I think we have gotten their attention, so yes." Vergil replied as he kept his eyes on the remaining demons around him.

"Sons of Sparda!!!" Mundus roared out in anger, his eyes locking on the two brothers.

"Well well well, if it ain't wannabe king of the underworld!" Dante exclaimed whilst pointing to the demon king with his devil sword.

"Not much of a god if he has to have minions at his feet." Vergil responded as he held onto Yamato, readying himself for the fight ahead.

"You. . ." Mundus aimed his sights on the blue devil. "You have failed me as my servant, what makes you think you can defeat me this time, when you had failed to do so before!?"

"Back then, I did not have the power to even scratch you. . ." Vergil tightened his grip on his weapon, slowly channeling his demonic power through his body as he spoke.

"To this very day, I hate myself for not being strong enough. But this time Mundus, I'm not doing this to prove anything. . . I'm just here to kill you once, and for all!" And with that final sentence, Vergil stopped in his tracks, unsheathing Yamato.

Dante moved alongside his brother, readying himself with an almost sinister smile, a glimpse of his inner devil showing through his eyes.

"Hey bro, I'd say we'll get this done in less than ten minutes." He said as demons begun their approach.

"Less than five if we combine our strength." Vergil chirped back, a sense of hope sparked within him.

"Prepare to die!!" Mundus called out, his remaining minons charging for the duo at his command.

"This may be fun." Vergil quietly said before entering his devil form, letting out a demonic war cry as he, and Dante charged towards their adversaries.

Dante fondly remembered the times where he, and his twin fought alongside each other before. When they placed their differences aside to stop Arkham, whose soul desire was to wield the power of Sparda for himself, after convincing Vergil to raise the demonic tower known as Temen-Ni-Gru. With a combined effort, the twins defeated him, only to set their sights on each other afterwards. Although Vergil chose to stay behind in the demon world, Dante wanted to stop him from damning himself to whatever hell awaited him.

It was a rare occurance, that Dante had shed a tear for his brother, wishing he could've saved him in time. Now here he is, reunited with his twin, facing the demon king once again.

Mundus did not want to believe his very eyes. Sparda's children were decimating his minions as if they were nothing, their enemies falling one after the other, and for the first time, the demon king had begun to fear them.

Taking no chances, Mundus tried to escape from the battlefield, only for Vergil to teleport in front of him. With a swift slash from Yamato, he severed the spider-like legs, forcing the demon to stop in his tracks, followed by a roar of fraustration.

"NO!" Mundus cried out. "How is this possible!?" He directed his question to the blue devil before him.

"The answer lies within the severed roots." Vergil cryptically said before continuing his assault on the demon king.

Dante had finished off the last of the minions, switching off his devil form.

"Now that's what I call a rush!" He shouted, breathing heavily before turning his focus on the last enemy.

"Hey Vergil! You gonna hog Mundie all to yourself?" The red devil called out, walking towards the crippled demon king.

"That would be impolite Dante, it's only fair we finish this one off together." Vergil smirked as he spoke, waiting for his brother to join him.

"You will tremble before me! I am Mundus!!" The demon yelled out, summoning whatever power remaining he had to form a weapon. The sword itself resembled Sparda's, but with a more crooked, and sickening appearance.

"No Mundus, you're an asshole!" Dante responded by giving Mundus a "friendly" gesture, with Vergil shaking his head.

"For once I agree with you Dante, now let us finish him off!" The older twin darkly said before leaping towards the demon king.

Mundus used his remaining strength to swing his blade, the clash of demonic steel, and energy had forced the demon to block both of the twins's weapons, sparks flying across all directions.

"Keep pushing Dante!" Vergil called out as he channeld his power, gritting his teeth in anger.

"Almost there bro!" Dante shouted back as he too channeld power, his concentration fully fixed on his opponent, who struggled to hold on.

Within a sudden burst of rage, the twins entered their true devil forms, both beginning to overpower Mundus, who cursed the duo with such venomous words, but it did little to stop them from breaking through. The blade of the demon king had shattered, crumbling into dust as the twins drove their blades into Mundus's "heart", causing his body to turn itself inside out.

Once the twins switched back, they moved away from Mundus, noticing how the body was tearing itself apart. Dante felt the need to deliver one last shot, but of course, he needed Vergil for the final blow.

"One more for old times sake brother?" Dante took out Ivory with one hand, while handing Ebony to his twin.

"Fine. But afterwards you better stop saying it for at least a month, understand?" Vergil sighed as he took the gun, quietly lamenting how he wasn't a fan of guns.

The twins shifted back to back, their guns aiming for the exposed demon king's heart, both smiling as they pulled the trigger.

"Jackpot!"

**Author's Notes**

**So here is the first chapter of my new story. As stated before, it is more or less a reboot of Of Fathers and Brothers, but set after DMC5, and my take on Vergil adjusting to life, with some serious moments, but also light hearted moments as well.**

**Thank you for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter II: Taking that First Step

Nicoletta Goldstein, the granddaughter of the weapon artist Nell Goldstein, and daughter of mad scientist Agnus, mix it all together, and you have a woman with plenty of comebacks, creative gadgets, and an amazing intellect that would put many to shame. A gifted one in the art of weapons, and has seen her share of demons. Hell, she's already met a few, even going as far as looking up to one during the Redgrave incident, where she met the legendary Dante.

Nico had kept herself busy with tidying up her van in the early hours of the morning, letting Nero rest with his lover Kyrie for a change. She was still surprised to see the devil hunter's right arm, thinking of the time he unknowingly encountered his father, who tore off his devil bringer in order to obtain Yamato.

"Wonder how Dante is doing in the underworld with his brother. I hope they come back some day. . ." She spoke out loud as she grabbed her wrench, checking her prized vehicle for any problems.

Nero himself was resting with Kyrie, letting her cuddle into him, the blue bed covers were a mess, after what many would describe as "a night of passion". Normally the two would keep the noise to a mininum, but with the stress of demon slaying, and looking after the children in the orphanage, the two needed some form of stress relief.

The white haired devil woke up to hear the sound of Nico's radio, which played a calm jazz, instead of the usual electronic, death metal he normally listens to.

"Well at least she's picked something that doesn't scare the neighbours." Nero said to himself as he got out of bed, stretching himself out, turning to see Kyrie sleep peacefully, a smile forming as he begun his routine.

As Nico continued humming away whilst she worked, the radio begun to malfunction, the music jumping in, and out of volume.

"Dang piece of trash. Thought I fixed this." She spoke aloud as she took out her screwdriver, readying to dismantle the radio.

Then all of sudden, a portal opened in front of her. Her first instinct was to call out to Nero, grabbing her wrench in defense, despite that her shotgun was in the van. As the seconds passed, she got more anxious as nothing seemed to have come out of the portal, a bizzare event indeed.

Just as she was about to investigate, a boot stepped from the portal, then another, and then a body. Two of them to be more precise. Emerging from the portal, Dante, and Vergil looked around the area, oblivious to the gobsmacked Nico before them.

"A garage. . . Well at least we're not in the middle of the desert, right brother?" Dante casually said, still not recognising the van.

"It's a start. Although it seems we've caused discomfort to the lady in our vicinity." Vergil gestured to the woman in question, prompting the red clad devil to smile at the familiar face.

"Nicoletta!?" He exclaimed in surprise, recognising her in an instant, despite the fact that he didn't a few seconds ago.

"Dante!? V-V-Vergil!? What in the actual f is going on!?" Nico cried out, rubbing her eyes, and pinching herself in hopes that she wasn't dreaming.

"We apologise for the disturbance Nicoletta. We did not know that the rift would take us here." Vergil calmly said, amused by the woman's reaction.

"S-so-so, you guys got out of the underworld?" Nico asked as she sat herself down, still giddy with excitement.

"Quite the observer this one." The blue devil spoke aloud, slowly taking in his surroundings, beginning to remember what had happened on that faithful day he met Nero.

"I'm taking this back." The words he spoke to him just after he tore Nero's devil bringer, reclaiming Yamato in order to split his soul into two.

Back to reality, Vergil felt his stomach growl, causing Nico to giggle.

"Looks like someone's needing some breakfast! Well it's a g-good thing you're both in the right place." Nico said as she clumsily dropped her wrench, letting it hit the ground.

A few seconds later, Nero rushes into the room, carrying blue rose.

"Nico! Is everything alri-" He stopped mid sentence as his eyes met both his uncle, and his father. It had been well over two months since he last saw the two.

"Nero. . ." Vergil softly spoke, a sense of relief to see his son.

"You're both back. . ." Nero said, a mix of both annoyance, and happiness took him over.

"Hey kid, sorry we've taken so long to come back." Dante said in his usual cheery manner, waiting for his nephew to respond.

"Geez, you two could use a shower." The younger devil held his nose, attempting to block the smell of blood, and god knows what else.

"Agreed, can we use your facilities?" Vergil asked politely, earning a nod from his son.

"Kyrie's gonna need a hand with breakfast." Nico said to herself, amused by Nero's reaction to the odour.

An hour into the morning, the twins had their clothes washed, their bodies cleansed, and their stomachs filled. Kyrie was all too pleased to assist the brothers, supplying them with spare clothing whilst their own were taken care of.

Everyone gathered in the living room, Nero wanted to ask about the duo's time in the underworld, along with asking his father several questions on top of that.

"So this Mundus. . ." He said, taking a sip from his coffee. "This guy was a demon king?" Asking in a curious manner.

"The very same one that my father; Sparda had rebelled against. He would be the first to seal the demon king away, followed by Dante." Vergil explained while analysing his coffee mug, wondering who on earth was "Not so Tiny Tina".

"Then me and brother, happened to bump into him by chance. The big guy was planning to return via the rift we found, so we agreed on making sure that he, and his army didn't succeed in breaking through." Dante interjected, smiling at his nephew.

"The fight was lengthly, but thanks to Dante's words of encouragement, we ended their plans just in time." Vergil followed up, keeping his usual mannerisms.

"Glad you two stopped him when you did, I've only heard of Mundus through the Order." Nero said as he rested his arms on the table.

"On the brightside, it's good to have my brother back, even if it did require that bitch slap." Dante chuckled, remembering Nero's transformation, and his newfound strength.

"So what will you do now?" Nero directed his question to Vergil, curious about his father's answer.

"Dante wishes for me to help run his shop. From what he has told me, I'd be able to handle finances, and find high paying jobs." The blue devil answered firmly.

"It's a solid start brother, that way it keeps you out of mischief." Dante playfully spoke, nudging his twin who glared in response. Nero smirked as the duo had a staring contest, noticing the tiny smile on Vergil's face.

_"Still have so many questions for them, better take it slow for now." _Nero pondered as he finished his coffee, looking over to a smiling Kyrie, who could see the joy in her lover's face, even if he wouldn't say it out loud.

"Why don't you two go for a walk? I can keep an eye on things here." Dante said whilst pointing to his brother, and nephew.

"Well that is if you wish to Nero." Vergil stood up, secretly hoping Nero would oblige.

"Well. . . Okay, just don't scare the kids Dante, and maybe I could hire you as a babysitter sometime." The youngest devil kissed Kyrie on the cheek, letting his father take the lead.

"Long as I don't need to wipe anyone's butt, you've got yourself a deal kiddo." Dante chuckled, waving his brother goodbye.

Nero, and Vergil walked through the empty streets of Fortuna, the early morning was cold, but fresh, with winter just around the corner. As they continued their walk around the various monuments, the two did not know how to start the conversation.

"This Kyrie. . . She's your other half?" Vergil asked, in hopes that he'd respond.

"Y-yeah. I've known her since I was a kid, she, and her brother Credo took me in one day, and we've been close ever since." Nero answered with confidence, hearing his father grunt in acknowledgment.

"Do you still have my book?" The elder devil asked.

"You told me to hold onto it, I actually read it myself from time to time." The son answered another question, unsure of where this conversation would go.

"That's good. Glad you've kept it." Vergil spoke with a slightly nervous tone.

"Look uh, if you're uncomfortable with me, just say so." Nero said, stopping to face his father, who shook his head.

"Not at all Nero. I'm just unsure of what to say, in fear that I may anger you with the wrong words." Vergil's concern was understood by Nero.

"Hey, I'm new to this whole father, son thing too you know. How about we just take one step at a time? Rather than jump into the deep end?" His son said, giving an assuring smile.

"One step at a time. . . Alright." A smile from Vergil put the two at ease.

"So, how do you feel about running a business with Dante?" Nero asked as they begun to walk back to his home.

"Much as I wasn't fond of the idea, I think it's a start to atone for my past misdeeds. Plus I can handle money better than he can, that's for sure." Vergil said, earning a chuckle from the younger devil.

"Maybe you'll put him on a better diet while you're at it." Nero laughed, his father smirking at the thought.

"Getting Dante to eat vegetables will be a challenge, but I know a few cooking skills that should suffice." The blue devil had begun to feel more at ease with Nero, noticing the similarities between his son, and himself.

From the snow white hair, to the icy blue eyes, the resemblance became more clear that Nero was his son, a descendant of Sparda no less. To witness the young man transform was still fresh in his mind, a power that he did not anticipate the boy would have due to thinking that his son could not achieve such power, a part of Vergil was annoyed for thinking in such a way.

Once the two returned, they discovered that Dante had kept his promise by looking after the orphans, reading them a story about a boy who lost his mother, venturing on a quest to find her again. A hint of sorrow hit Vergil as he remembered the horrible night that changed his perception on what power meant.

"Might controls everything, and without that strength you can't protect anything. Let alone yourself. . ." The words he spoke to his twin on the top of Temen-Ni-Gru echoed within his head.

As all humans do, people grieve differently. Some bottle it away, some lash out, and some don't even feel anything at all. But Vergil wasn't a cold hearted being, despite what others had thought of him. He too missed his mother, wishing he protected her, even if it meant at the cost of his own life during that fateful night.

"Hey Vergil!"

Vergil snapped out of his daydreaming, hearing his brother call out to him. He looked up to see Dante giving a look of concern.

"You alright?" The twin asked, noticing how distant his brother looked.

"I'm fine Dante. Just one step at a time, right?" Vergil asked, softly smiling.

"One step at time. Nero's offered us a place to crash till next morning, and Nico's gonna drive us back home, okay?" Dante replied before patting Vergil's shoulder, walking back to continue his story to the eagerly waiting orphans.

The afternoon was a slow, but a nice change of pace for Vergil. He spent the majority of his time wandering Fortuna, remembering the journey he took to investigate the Order of the Sword, curious about their love, and worship for Sparda, who was once the feudal lord many centuries ago.

After spending several nights, he had reached a conclusion. Although the Order weren't exactly misguided, he knew they could become a potential threat in the near future. Thankfully, he remembered how the Order were vanquished by both Nero, and Dante, a conversation he held with the latter during their time in the underworld.

Upon recollecting his memories, he remembered one paticular detail. There was a woman, who watched him fight off several demons as he made his way through the city, and had happened to walk past him, more curious about him than anything.

**Fortuna City, many years ago. .**

Vergil had forgotten how long he was in the library, simply amazed by the texts written about his father's time as feudal lord. Though he had finished his investigation on the Order, and could leave at anytime, he was quietly content with the silence, until his attention turned to the woman who had been following him hide behind one of the large bookcases.

The woman in question held her breath, hoping that he did not notice her. She calmed herself, confident that the mysterious man didn't see a thing. Moving her head slowly to peek around, she almost jumped in fright as the man was right in front of her, his face somewhat amused by her actions.

"It is rude to stare." Vergil quietly said, his tone sounding almost emotionless. "Care to explain yourself?" he asked.

"It's not often we get strangers here. Especially one with such a weapon as that." The woman said, pointing to the sheathed Yamato which rested on the table.

"I assure you miss, that my blade is only for protection." Vergil spoke as he moved back to his seat, hardly paying attention to the lady before him.

"Against those demons in the city?" She asked, in the hopes that he'd explain who he is.

"If you've been traumatised by those weaklings, then you don't have the stomach for anything else." He coldly answered, hoping the woman would leave him alone.

"You clearly aren't human, I watched you kill those things without breaking a sweat, so spare me the tough guy act." The woman kept a serious glare, surprisingly making Vergil step back.

"What is your name woman?" He asked.

"Sara, Sara Trent." Sara removed her hood, revealing her ash coloured hair, and piercing green eyes, along with a small scar under her right eye.

"Well Sara, why take interest in me if I'm not human?" Vergil smirked as he asked.

"Because you remind me of another being who looked human, yet in truth, he was the legendary dark knight. The white hair was a notable trait of his." Sara answered whilst pointing to Vergil's hair.

"Hmph. . ." Vergil huffed. "Are you saying I am the person in question?" He asked sitting back down, the young lady sat beside him.

"You're too much of an ass to be Sparda, but you obviously have a connection with him of some kind." Sara casually insulted him, unphased by his stare of annoyance.

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Vergil asked. "It's not ladylike." He added on top of that.

"Never knew my parents. They threw me away so they could drink themselves to death." The ashen haired lady coldly said in response, the bitterness in her voice was obvious.

"So what do I call you?" She asked.

"I suppose it is only fair. My name is Vergil, but that is all you're getting from me." The blue devil returned a little smile, a sense that the woman before him knew much more than she was letting on.

"Well Vergil, now that we've introduced ourselves." Sara stood up. "Shall we discuss your reason for wandering Fortuna over lunch?" She asked.

"Suppose I can enlighten you." Vergil answered as he stood up. _"May as well eat something whilst I'm here."_ He said in his mind, unsure of what to make of his new friend.

The two slowly walked through town, with Sara taking the lead. Moving through the lively crowd was easier said than done, as the pedestrians were eager to go about their business. After pushing through, the two had reached one of the local inns.

"The Happy Hangman's Inn?" Vergil questioned. "How welcoming." He added with sarcasm.

"That is why I love it." Sara said in response. "Don't let the name fool you." She playfully nudged his shoulder, noticing the faint smile.

The inn was more peaceful than Vergil thought. Most inns he had visited were filled to the brim with drunkards, and unsavory individuals, but not this one. The sound of the fireplace, the flipping of pages on a book, and the sound of a chess piece landing on the board had set a welcoming vibe all around.

"Care for tea Vergil?'" Sara asked, removing her hood.

"You've read my mind." He confirmed his choice.

**An hour later. . .**

"So you believe that the Order of the Sword are responsible for the recent demon attack?" Sara quietly spoke, focusing on the unique details on Vergil's coat, which was draped over the latter's chair.

"They seem to release a controlled amount, letting them cause havoc before they step in. They use this method to win the trust of their followers, and in the longrun, recruit more men, who are willing to die for the Order." The blue devil explained his theory, as odd as it sounded, it was more than likely.

"I see. . ." Sara turned to look outside, watching the sky darken with greying clouds. A storm was coming, and it looked like a big one.

"It's best if we stay here for tonight, looks like a storm is approaching." Vergil stated, sighing.

"It's been due for a while, thank goodness we came here when we did." Sara added, unsure of what would happen next.

After speaking with the owner, the two secured themselves a room, one that held two seperate beds, along with an en suite bathroom. The weather outside had worsened, the rain hitting the clear glass was somewhat soothing to Vergil, who was quietly reading a small collection of poems by William Blake.

"To see a world in a Grain of Sand, and a Heaven in a wild flower. . ."

"Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour." Sara finished the quote, receiving a silent nod of approval.

"A timeless classic isn't it?" The blue devil asked, closing the book.

"It's one of my favourites." The young woman stated. "Can I ask you something Vergil?" She added.

"I'll allow it." He confirmed, curious about her following question.

"Why do you distance yourself from humans?" Her question struck a cord in Vergil's mind, as he looked up.

"I see humanity as a weakness. Their need to be loved, and protected makes them vulnerable. In order to achieve my goals, I mustn't let my emotions influence my actions. . ." His voice was bitter, but honest.

Sara could see a hint of sorrow in his face. It did not take long to figure out that he had lost something, or someone.

"Emotions are felt across all beings Vergil. Even demons feel some form of it, whether it is pure anger, or an neverending sorrow. Understanding your emotions is different from experiencing them." She explained as she walked over to the silent son of Sparda, who kept his gaze on her.

"I don't know much about the path you've chosen, but what I do know is that you don't have to do it alone. If you wish, I can accompany you in your journey. . ." Sara finished as she placed her soft hand on his shoulder, her green eyes looking into the pale blue ones before her.

"I. . .I'm. . .sorry, but I cannot risk having you in danger." Vergil felt like his stomach was tightening as he confirmed his reason.

Sara only smiled despite his decline. "Then at least let me thank you for the dinner. . ." She whispered before placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

Before she could say another word, the blue devil kissed back. The room was silent aside from the duo's breathing, the two looked at each other, both filled with an unusual feeling.

Lust. . .

**Fortuna City, present time.**

_"Sara. . . what happend to you?"_ Vergil thought to himself as he kept walking through the streets, remembering where he had met the young lady in question.

As the blue devil continued to think about his encounter, his attention suddenly turned to the graveyard nearest the church. A part of him did not wish to visit, but something was urging him to go there. Taking a deep breath, he entered the burial ground, in the hopes that his fears were put to rest.

As his eyes scanned each gravestone, he felt his heart begin to sink. Although he had only spent one night with Sara, he admired her for her straight to the point attitude, and how easy she figured out his identity. Eventually the son of Sparda stopped, eyes locked on to the gravestone in front of him. First came shock, followed by a sense of sadness. Vergil knelt down to read the stone.

**_Here lies Sara Trent. A smart, loving mother, who was taken too soon from this world. May the Savior watch over her._**

Vergil did not want to believe it, but it was there. Sara died, and he did not know about it, yet at the time, he set his sights on obtaining power. He was angry, not at Nero, not at Sara, but angry at himself for not being there for her when she needed him most.

"Sara. . ." Vergil said. "Had I known, I would've. . ." He could only lower his head in sorrow, unable to say the words. Though he did not shed a tear, he clutched his hands, annoyed at himself.

"I figured you'd find your way here." A familiar voice called from behind, the blue devil turning to see his son, his arms crossed.

"Do you hate me Nero?" Vergil asked, standing back up.

"You want the truth?" Nero approached him, their eyes fixated on Sara's grave. The father nodded.

"The truth is that you didn't know she was pregnant. From what Kyrie's brother told me before he died, is that she lost too much blood during my birth. So the doctors could only save me. . ." The younger devil explained, his tone was almost emotionless.

"As for her blood loss, it was caused by a mugger, who attacked her in the street when she just hit labour. The bastard got away, while my mother was being taken to hospital. Although, he got what was coming to him a few years later, drug overdose." The revelation only furthered Vergil's anger towards himself, until Nero added more to the story.

"After I turned sixteen, I learned about my mother. At first I hated myself, because I thought I caused her death. . . but in the end, it was some drug addict who was looking for his next fix. I won't deny the fact that I was angry at you, that I was angry that you were not there for me." Nero talked with a hint of anger, but his face was one of sorrow.

"But I'm not gonna let you beat yourself up for not knowing. So no, I don't hate you at all." Nero's frown turned into a faint smile, a somewhat contagious smile at that.

"You've grown into a good person Nero." Vergil returned the smile. "Thank you. . ."

"Kyrie's making curry tonight, so be prepared for a feast." The son chuckled, knowing his lover would make more than enough food.

"That sounds lovely." Vergil said, taking one last glance at Sara's grave.

_"I'll make this right Sara, rest in peace." _He then begun to walk with Nero, his resolve more clearer than anything.

He was taking the first step to redeem himself, and with time, he'll learn to forgive the one being from his past.

Himself.

**_End of Chapter Two._**

**Author's Notes**

**I decided on making this chapter to cover both the twin's return, as well as bringing Nero's mother into Vergil's memory of visiting Fortuna. Though it is stated that Nero's mother was possibly a prostitute, I felt that Vergil wasn't the kind of guy to go for that. (Then again, anything's possible) Anyhow, thank you all for reading.**

**As of now, I'll be taking a short break.(Thanks to Death Stranding) So don't panic! I will return! **


	3. Chapter III: Home Sweet Home

J.D. Morrison wasn't just a well known business man, he's the only business man that serves as Devil May Cry's client handler. Though a little eccentric, Morrison provided Dante, Trish, and Lady with a variety of missions. From simple demon eliminations, to good old fashioned detective work, some paid extremely well, but others paid little.

Before Dante entered the underworld with Vergil, he entrusted Morrison to look after the business, who was only too happy to help his longtime friend. After some lengthly missions, Trish, and Lady used their fortune to buy the building, with Morrison putting it under Dante's name, so in the event that he returns, he would no longer need to pay rent, nor would he need to worry about being unable to flush the damn toilets.

Although the jobs that Trish, and Lady were assigned to paid well, the two deep down were missing Dante. Despite the occasional bickering, they were always there for Dante when he needed someone to talk to.

The shop itself was quiet, Trish was reading through an old science fiction novel out of boredom. The story was about a man who delivered supplies by foot, with the ultimate goal of re-connecting America, all whilst avoiding the watchful gaze of invisible beings.

"Quite a bizarre story, yet I can't help but like it." She said out aloud, looking at the framed picture of Eva.

Though she was made by Mundus, and was made to resemble Dante's mother, she defied against her maker, turning her back on the demon king. After Mallet Island, she was more than happy to be part of Devil May Cry, taking in all kinds of jobs she could get her hands on. Though her relationship with Dante was often considered as just close friends, the two shared a unique bond, one that only the two truly understood.

As Trish kept reading her book, the world outside was at peace, like as if time had paused everything but her. Although some company would've been nice, the lightning queen could not deny that the silence was golden.

Her concentration broke when she heard someone knocking on the door. Placing a bookmark on the seventy ninth page, she stood up, walking towards the door. Trish was greeted by none other, than Morrison himself, wearing the usual attire.

"Just the woman I was looking for, how are you Trish?" He asked as he made himself at home, sitting down on the old leather couch.

"Aside from dying of boredom, I'm great." Trish moved back to the desk, resting her legs on top. "You've got something for me?"

The gentleman replied in his usual cheery manner. "Aside from the payment from the last job, I've only got a little bit of news to share."

The lightning woman leaned back, ready to listen.

"Go on."

"As of next week, I'll be taking two weeks off from the business. After so many long years of providing work for you, I need a little bit of time to myself, a chance to recharge my batteries in other words." Morrison said with a hint of tiredness. Since he was well into his late fifties, it did not come as a surprise to Trish, considering he was just a human being.

"It's good that you're taking a step back Morrison." She smiled.

"So in terms of clients, you'll just have to deal with them by phone. Meaning you, and Lady will have to agree on taking them on." The old man continued, checking his breast pocket for one of his cigars.

"We'll sort it out, rest assured." The demonness replied with confidence.

The two then heard the sound of a vehicle screeching to a halt. They both looked at each other, then looked to the door, listening to more than one set of footsteps approaching. Trish stood up, excitement within was growing.

The doors swung open, and the group entered in an almost dramatic way. Dante, Nero, Vergil, and Nico made their presence known.

"Honey! We're home!" The red clad devil exclaimed. Vergil rolled his eyes, focusing on the interior.

_"This place could use a clean. . ."_ He thought as his attention moved to the approaching woman.

Trish greeted Dante with a hug, relieved to see that her companion was back from the underworld.

"Took you long enough. . ." She said, playfully smacking his head, before turning to face the blue devil. "Hi. . ." Trish politely spoke, unsure of how Vergil would respond.

"I saw it through didn't I?" He asked, remembering Trish's words to his human half.

"Indeed. Welcome home Vergil." The lightning demonness offered a hand, hoping he would get the gesture.

The eldest twin shook her hand firmly, giving a respectful nod.

Morrison chimed in. "Good to have you back Dante." He took a glance at Vergil, nodding politely in silence. "Much as I would love to stay, and give you a proper welcome, I've got my own business to attend to." The smartly dressed man stood up.

"Have a good vacation M!" Trish waved Morrison goodbye, turning her attention to Nero, and Vergil.

Dante looked at her in confusion, but she quickly answered. "I'll explain later." In which the red devil responded with a thumbs up.

"Dante, and I appreciate you driving us home Ms Goldstein. I'll make sure we repay you for the help." Vergil said, shifting his eyes onto the familiar picture that sat on the desk.

"Think nothing of it Vergil." Nico cheerfully exclaimed, quickly bidding the sons of Sparda farewell before heading back into the van, patiently waiting for Nero, who approached his father, checking on him.

"So uh, you know how to use the cellphone I gave you right?" He asked.

Vergil assured his son. "Of course Nero. I appreciate that you're giving me this chance." He raised his left hand, offering a gesture of kindness.

Nero took his hand, and shook it firmly, followed by a small smile. "I'll keep in touch. . . Father." The word felt easier to say.

The blue devil nodded in silence, feeling more comfortable with the term. "You better, son." He sternly said, smirking.

A small chuckle escaped from Nero. Dante then placed his hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Thanks again Nero. We'll need to do a job together sometime."

"I'll hold you that Dante. Take care, and I'll see you soon!" Nero waved before leaving to join Nico. After a few minutes, the van was out of sight, leaving the twins, and Trish alone.

"So Vergil, would you like tea? Or Coffee?" She asked smiling.

"Tea sounds ideal. You have Earl Grey?" Vergil asked, picking up the picture of Eva.

"An excellent choice." Trish called out as she entered the kitchen, letting the twins occupy themselves.

The blue devil kept his eyes on the picture, smiling as he fondly remembered how kind, considerate, and loving Eva was.

"I've got more photos by the way." Dante moved to his desk, pleased to see everything in one piece.

"We'll need to go through them Dante." Vergil looked up from the picture. "Perhaps we can put them into a photo album." He said whilst sitting on the old leather sofa.

"You're better at re-arranging stuff than I am Verge." Dante spoke as he stretched his arms.

"Is there a room that I can accomodate?" Vergil asked.

"Yup. Up the stairs, to your right. It may need some dusting down, since we've been away for so long." Dante replied, however Trish interjected from within the kitchen.

"It's actually all clean up there Vergil! We can maybe decorate it to your liking at somepoint." The She-devil returned with a tray to hold the tea pot, along with two cups.

"I don't wish to cause a fuss." Vergil said, filling his cup with earl grey, the aroma was relaxing.

"You're not brother." Dante chimed in. "You can always stay with Nero from time to time if it gets too much here."

"A fair point Dante. But like I said before, just one step at a time." The twin sipped on his tea, the brew itself was phenomenal.

"Good to have you Vergil." Trish's smile was contagious, so the blue devil could only smile back in acknowledgment.

_"__Dante hasn't stopped smiling since he brought Vergil home." _Trish thought to herself as she watched how Dante, and Vergil talked with each other.

Trish remembered a time when Dante was quiet. A time where he had no one left in his family, which in turn affected him greatly. For a while, the red devil would distance himself from everyone, only speaking when neccessary. Were it not for Lady, Trish, and even Patty Lowell's care for him, he may have been at the breaking point. Then Trish remembered another devil hunter, who unknowingly brought Dante back from that dark place.

After witnessing Nero use the Yamato many years ago, Dante realised that he still had a family. This sudden revelation sparked the old flame within the son of Sparda's heart, and soon enough he did whatever it took to ensure Nero defeated Sanctus, entrusting him with his brother's sword.

Back to the present, Vergil had finished drinking his tea.

"That was an exqusite tea Trish. Thank you. He said whilst leaning back on the couch.

"Anytime Vergil." The lightning devil replied, smiling brightly at the two.

Dante then said, "So I'm assuming Lady is out on business?"

"She's resting at her place. The last job we took together wore her out. Though she did say she'd pay me a visit tomorrow." Trish confirmed Lady's whereabouts.

"I can only assume that she may not be pleased to see me." Vergil spoke with concern, remembering the last time he crossed paths with Mary.

"Maybe you should tell her that we're back Trish." Dante said as he stood up. "It's better that she knows." He let out a yawn, followed by stretching himself.

"Dante's right Ms Trish." Vergil agreed with his brother.

Trish nodded, giving an assuring grin.

"I'll let her know right away, but in the meantime, why don't you two get some sleep? Then we can deal with the situation tomorrow."

"A fantastic idea Trish!" Dante cheerfully exclaimed. "Just knock on my bedroom door if you need anything Verge."

He playfully saluted the two before heading up to his bedroom, leaving Trish, and Vergil alone.

"Go get some rest Vergil. You look like you need it." She quietly said, earning a response from him.

"I look that tired huh? Well I suppose an early night should suffice." He spoke as he stood up. "Thank you again Trish, and I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight V." Trish playfully said, noticing the corners of his mouth forming into a smile as she called him by his human half's name.

As Vergil made his way to the bedroom, the lightning devil took out her cellphone, using both hands to type a message. After sending it to Lady, Trish decided on staying up for a little longer, continuing to read her book while the twins rested..

_"Hey Lady. Just letting you know that Dante, and Vergil are back home. They're both in good health, so you're welcome to come see them tomorrow. Talk later xxx"_

Lady read through the text message. Though she was pleased that Dante had returned, she did not anticipate him returning with Vergil of all people. Unsure of how to respond, she simply shut her phone, leaning back on her couch in silence.

_"Haven't seen him since Temen-Ni-Gru. . ." _She thought. _"Guess we'll have to see what he has to say for himself."_ Lady closed her eyes, drifting off into a deep slumber.

Tomorrow was either going to end with a clash of steel and bullets, or end with dead silence. One thing is for certain, Lady and Vergil will have to communicate, one way or another.

**_End of Chapter Three_**

**Author's Notes**

**Hey folks!**

**Hope you have enjoyed this short chapter. The following chapters will focus on Vergil adjusting to his new home, along with meeting Lady, bonding with Dante, and of course, bonding with Nero.**

**Till Next time!!**


	4. Chapter IV: It's a Start

Vergil couldn't remember the last time he had a full night's rest, sure he slept reasonably well at Nero's, but this was one of the rarest occassions where he didn't have to be on his guard. Opening the curtains, he noticed it was still dark, more or less telling him that he was up early. Then his stomach growled, sounding like a small dog. Grunting at the uncomfortable feeling, he quickly peformed several stretching techniques, getting his mind, and body into a more lively state. After finishing his stretches, he then made his way to the kitchen, carefully moving so he did not wake up Dante.

The kitchen was small, but just enough for a small family to cook, and eat together. A small circular table, with four chairs set closest to the window, which looked out to a small, untidy garden.

"What a mess. . ." Vergil thought. "But I can deal with that another time." He switched his focus on checking the fridge for food.

The fridge had a substantial amount of supplies to cook breakfast. Eager to whip up a classic, Vergil grabbed the small apron hanging on the wall, a blue coloured one with bright yellow lettering.

"Kiss the cook. . . How original." He sarcastically muttered to himself, tiying the apron around his waist.

After a minute of figuring out on how to turn the cooker on, he begun to work his magic. Before Eva's death, the blue devil would often observe his mother cooking, quickly learning from repetition, and soon enough he was already making a meal by himself, even occasionally cooking for Dante, and his mother.

It would seem that he never lost his touch, as he made a traditional full english breakfast. Knowing that Trish, and Dante would wake up soon, he made sure there was plenty of bacon, eggs, and all you require for a fine breakfast. Vergil couldn't help but feel content with himself, a sense of achievement in such a small feat.

As he quietly ate, he could hear the approaching footsteps. Trish was greeted by the smell of cooked food, a welcoming aroma at that.

"Good Morning Trish." The blue devil said. "Please help yourself to breakfast."

Trish nodded as she took out a plate, filling it up. After doing so, she sat opposite the gentleman. She took a bite, and smiled with delight at the taste.

"This is. . . lovely Vergil." She complimented him.

"Thank you. I'm sure it's a nice change from leftover pizza." Vergil jokingly said, earning a small giggle from his guest.

"If you're planning on cooking often, then I won't have to order food ever again." The two happily ate in peace, whilst Dante had just woken up, preparing for a cold shower.

"Tell me Trish. . ." Vergil took a moment to think about his question. "Are you and Dante an item?"

Trish finished off her breakfast, taking away her plate. "To put it in simpler words, yes." She said as she begun to fill the sink with hot water.

"As you know, I was created by Mundus. My primary goal was to eliminate Dante whilst also guiding him to Mallet Island. He proved to be more than capable of handling any demon who stood in his way, all while I quietly observed his actions." Trish took a deep breath before continuing.

"It was after he defeated you while you were Nelo Angelo, that I begun to question my loyalty to the demon king. After he dispatched Nightmare, he ended up saving me from the out of control demon. It was then that he said I looked like Eva. . . Suddenly he snapped at me, and I remember his exact words."

"You may look like my mother but you are no where close to her. You have no soul!You have the face but you'll never have her fire!" The memory of Dante saying that was clear as glass.

"After I failed to stop him, Mundus used me as his way of taunting Dante. The demon king begun to attack him, and just when he was about to deliver the final blow, I broke free from my chains, putting myself in front of Dante." Trish looked down, a hint of sadness in her eyes was present.

"I took the hit, knowing that I was going to die. I wanted to show Dante that I did care for him, even if it meant losing my own life. So he "defeated" Mundus, and laid me to rest with the Sparda. Of course that wasn't the end there, Mundus came back, and he wasn't planning on letting Dante escape." The lightning demon continued, with Vergil listening to her story very carefully.

"When I regained my strength, I knew Dante was in trouble. So I took the sword with me, fighting off any lingering demons in order to help him. Just when Dante was about to lose hope, I jumped right into the battle, giving your brother enough power to seal Mundus away. It was the first time I ever cried for someone, and Dante then told me "Devils never cry." Once we escaped Mallet Island, it was also the first time I saw a clear blue sky."

"One thing Dante was right about, is that I wasn't Eva, far from it. But he said that my soul was my own, that I no longer was just a mere puppet in the demon king's plan, and after several years, I begun to feel something for him." Trish's face brightened up as she remembered the day Dante asked her out..

"Our first date was in a fast food place. Back then, he barely had enough money to cover the bill, but we still had fun regardless. He accepted that I wasn't Eva, that I am my own person, and you know what? He couldn't be more right about that." Trish concluded her story, earning a nod of respect from Vergil.

"You've come a long way since then." He said. "It is good that Dante has someone like you to rely on." He added on top of that with a smile.

"You may not believe it Vergil, but you are someone he relies on too. You're his brother afterall, and now that he has you, Nero, Lady, and me, he hasn't stopped smiling since you came back." The lightning she-devil spoke cheerfully.

"Why do I feel like there is more to this?" Vergil sensed that something was missing.

"There was a time when Dante didn't want to be in this world. A time where he thought he lost everything, including you." Trish stated before proceeding to explain. "He wouldn't mind me telling you this, but when you chose to stay behind in the underworld during the Temen-Ni-Gru incident, he shed a tear because he wanted to save you. For a while, he would hardly talk to anyone. Shutting himself away."

Trish could tell that Vergil was hanging on to every word, his pale blue eyes fixated on hers.

"But you know what brought him back? It was none other than your son. The minute he saw the Yamato react to him, that dark cloud seemed to have vanished. He wasn't sure if he could tell him about you, in the fear that it would only raise more questions." She finished, noticing the small smile tugging on Vergil's face.

"I guess I owe Nero for taking my brother away from that dark place in his head." He said quietly. "Despite what happened in Redgrave, I knew a piece of me was happy to see him, and when we were in the underworld working as a team, I felt. . . complete."

"Dante helped me face Mundus, and we prevailed. Had I known about what was going on in his head, I would've did my best to help him." Vergil looked down for a moment, both saddened that his brother thought he lost everything, and happy that his twin was surrounded by loving people.

"We can't change the past Vergil. You're not at fault for not knowing. It may not seem like a big deal, but Dante is in a better place, even more so now that you've returned. The Qliphoth was not your fault, but Urizen's. Yes he was you, but he wasn't you." Trish firmly grabbed his shoulder, her smile could light up the whole room at this rate.

"Thank you Trish. . ." He spoke quietly, hearing his brother's approaching footsteps.

"Damn. Something smells divine." Dante said as he entered. "Morning you two!" He cheerfully said as he took a plate, looking forward to his breakfast.

"So, how do you feel about meeting Lady again?" The red devil casually asked, sitting down with the two.

"Mostly concerned. I know you'll be there to handle it, if the situation requires it." Vergil was nervous that his encounter with Lady could either end with a fight, or a stern warning.

"In all fairness bro, you did do her a favour in defeating Arkham. After we dealt with him, she dealt the final blow." Dante explained whilst chowing down his food.

"Lady killed her own father, putting his scheme to an end. She got revenge for the death of her mother. . ." Trish interjected. "Having to kill your own parent wasn't as easy as she thought. Despite Arkham being a heartless soul, he was still her father. . ."

Vergil took a moment to think about the information given to him. A part of him understood Lady's reason for going to the demonic tower in the first place, but it was all part of Arkham's own twisted plan. Unfortunately for him, he had failed, resulting in his own demise.

"I understand." The blue devil stated, standing up from his seat. "If it is alright with you two, I'd like to use the shower."

Dante cheerily said, "No need to ask Verge, this IS your home ya know!"

The morning for the three was a perfect opportunity to clean the entire shop top to bottom. From dusting the old bookshelves, to mopping the floor. Vergil was thorough in his cleaning, using a little elbow grease to wipe off the stained doorways, and even going as far as to cleaning the outside of the windows.

After two hours of cleaning, the shop looked good as new, completely devoid of dirt, messy magazines, and uneccessary clutter. Dante sat on his chair, with his legs resting on the desk.

"Whew." He puffed out. "That was a workout." Dante turned to smirk at a unimpressed Vergil.

"And killing legions of demons doesn't count as a workout?" Vergil said, crossing his arms.

"Nope."

"You always were a lazy fool."

Dante looked at his brother, a little surprised by the sassy comeback. Trish surpressed a snort, quite impressed by Vergil's response. Then came the dreaded knock on the door, a familiar voice calling from the otherside.

"Come in!" Dante called out, removing his legs from the desk, sitting up straight to greet the individual.

Vergil's heartbeat accelerated as the doors swung open. Lady entered the shop, her hectochromatic eyes met Dante first, with a serious look on her face.

"About time you got back." She said calmly. "I was beginning to worry. . ." The look on her face betrayed her tone, she was in fact relieved to see Dante again

"Sorry for the hold up Lady." The red devil apologised, leaning back on his chair.

The huntress quietly accepted his apology, turning her focus on the man that sat on the leather couch. Vergil did not move a muscle, not wanting to provoke the woman before him. Lady kept one of her hands nearest her gun holster, unsure whether she should attack, or cautiously approach him.

"Hello." Vergil greeted in a monotone fashion, keeping his eyes on her.

"I see you're back together V." Lady used the name of his human counterpart, which seemingly did little to cause a reaction.

"Quite obvservant, aren't you?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm, raising an eyebrow.

The huntress was taken aback by his comment, though she did not retaliate, sensing that he had no intention of fighting her.

"Well, glad to see you have a sense of humor." Lady relaxed herself. "But if we're having to work together, you better make sure you don't stab us in the back." She sternly warned the son of Sparda, who quietly nodded in response.

"That's a bit harsh Lady." Dante chimed in, sitting up straight. "He's more likely to stab you in the front. I should know, I've been stabbed on numerous occassions." He jokingly stated.

"Hilarious Dante." Vergil stood up, moving towards the desk. "To translate my brother's words, is I have no intention on double crossing anyone. Do what you wish with that information Lady."

"Well if Dante's put his trust in you, then we'll see. . ." Lady kept her tone serious. "I've got a few jobs that may interest you three, I'll text the details to Trish. Now if you excuse me, I've got stuff to do." She quickly bidded Dante and Trish farewell, giving a simple nod to Vergil before leaving.

As the doors shut, Dante blew out a breath of relief. "That actually went better than I thought." He said, leaning back.

"At least there's no bullet holes. . ." Trish added, earning a small chuckle from her partner.

Meanwhile in Fortuna City, Nero and Kyrie were food shopping together, one had the listed ingredients, the other had a basket to place them in. As they walked through the large, and busy market place, the young devil counted the items within the basket.

"You sure we need more rice Kyrie?" He asked as he looked at the four bags of rice.

"Better to have plenty for the orphans Nero, you know that." The former songstress replied cheerfully, ticking off one of the ingredients.

"Long as we get some nanbread, especially the pishwari kind." Nero chirped, his mouth watering at the thought of a wonderful indian meal.

"It wouldn't be curry night without it." Kyrie beamed to her lover, giving a quick kiss on his cheek.

"I know it's only been a day since I dropped father off with Dante, but I wonder how he's holding up." He used his free hand to hold onto hers, smiling away.

"You should message him." Kyrie said, "I'm sure he'd be pleased to hear from you."

If Nero had a lightbulb on his head, it would light up. "How about we face call him? See if he manages to face the camera right?"

Kyrie quietly giggled, "Are you saying your father isn't great with technology?"

"How about a bet? If he gets the camera right, I'll do the housework for the remainder of the week." Nero gave a smirk.

"Very well." Kyrie smiled back, secretly hoping to win the bet. "I accept thy challenge!" She playfully said, grabbing a baguette like a sword.

"Credo's probably laughing at me right now. . ." Nero shuddered at the thought, continuing with the shopping.

**Meanwhile at Dumary Island. . .**

Lucia had never seen her home so lively before, thousands of people had gathered in celebration of the Vie de Marli's Clan, dancing, singing, and sharing tales of the defeat of the demon Argosax. It was no surprise that Sparda was honorably mentioned in the clan's story.

Though Lucia was created by Arius of the Uroboros corperation, she proved to be more than just a "defect". With encouraging words from Dante, she and the red devil worked together against the demons that threatened all life. Arius was killed, Argosax was eliminated, and Balrog surrendered to Dante, becoming a devil arm for him to use.

"It's wonderful isn't it Lucia?" Matier shuffled beside her adopted daughter, watching the festival.

"Hard to believe that so many people still believe in us." The red haired lady answered, followed by a warm chuckle by Matier.

"The Vie de Marli Clan unites all, no matter who, or what we are. Do not sell yourself short Lucia, as you are the one who brought everyone together again." The old lady smiled brightly, holding onto Lucia's hand in a motherly manner.

"Oh Mother." Lucia shed a tear of joy. "I'm grateful for your kind words. Maybe we should invite Dante and his friends someday. So that they can join us in celebration too."

Matier replied with confidence, "That is a wonderful idea."

**_End of Chapter IV_**

**Author's Notes**

**I decided on Lady make a more rational decision when meeting Vergil, considering the current circumstance of his return. Also I wanted to add a little bonus for fans of Lucia, and I did just that. Lucia will only have a small role for now, but that doesn't mean she won't have a bigger role in the future.****Thank you all for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	5. Chapter V: A Devil is Bored

Dante and Vergil were both looking after the shop for the day, whilst Trish and Lady handled an investigation a few miles out of the city. The Sons of Sparda were content with reading their books, the jukebox played quietly in the background.

"Dante." Vergil looked up to his brother, "How many pictures do you have of us exactly?" He asked with a curious expression.

Dante placed his magazine face down, pulling one of the cabinet drawers out from his desk. He placed a large black book on the table.

"I went back to our old home a year before I met Nero." He said, tapping on the book. "This survived the fire, and I've been looking after it ever since."

"Is our Father in at least one?" Vergil questioned, wondering if there were photos of Sparda in his human form.

"He's in four of them, the rest is you, me, and Mom." Dante answered with a smile. "Dad never liked the camera much, but he sure knew how to strike a pose."

Compelled to have a look, Vergil walked to the desk, standing beside his brother.

"Shall we see if we can re-arrange them?" He asked his brother, who eagerly nodded.

The twins must've been looking at the photographs for at least an hour. From their birth, to the day before their separation, they begun to remember the precious moments of their childhood. Vergil kept his eyes on the picture of he, and Dante at six years old, with Sparda behind the two, smiling nervously at the camera.

In the picture, the twins wore the same clothing, with the only difference being their hairstyle. Sparda wore a dark purple raincoat, sporting his glass monocle, and his hair was slicked back, a small smile across his face as he looked at the camera, the twins happily sitting on his lap.

"The saddest part of this picture, is that he left the next day. . ." Vergil couldn't help but feel sad whilst looking at the photo, his brother agreeing with him.

"He gave up all his power, leaving us Rebellion and Yamato." Dante said. "We'll never know if he died in the underworld, or somewhere on this side." He added, shifting his attention to the sound of a vehicle stopping.

"We can continue this another time Dante. For now, let us see who is approaching our business." Vergil moved back to the couch, resuming his book.

The doors swung open at an alarming speed, a young lady made her presence known, her face was full of thunder.

Dante recognised the lady to be none other than Patty Lowell, a familiar face from Dante's previous assignments.

"Good afternoon Patty, I trust you-"

"Don't you "good afternoon" me Dante!" Patty interuppted in anger. "You were supposed to come to my eighteenth birthday party!!" She slammed her hands on the desk, unaware of the surprised gentleman on the couch.

"Jeez, sorry that I had to save the world Patty. It's not like I can come back from the underworld at the snap of your fingers." Dante kept his cool as he spoke, further irritating the young lady.

Patty crossed her arms in annoyance. "Well you certainly pick your moments Dante, I even saved you a slice of cake, but then you just vanish for-" She stopped as her eyes darted to the smiling blue devil, his pale blue orbs fixated on his book.

Patty moved towards him with curiosity, mentally noting his white hair, and his face.

"D-Dante. . ." She stuttered out. "H-Have you got a clone of yourself?" The question made Dante laugh, amused by her reaction.

"If I were Dante's clone," Vergil's voice sent a chill down Patty's spine. "I would just be as annoying as him." He finished, turning to look at the young embarassed lady.

"That's my brother, Vergil." Dante casually introduced him. "We've not long reunited." He said, not willing to speak of the circumstances behind the reunion.

Patty looked at the two in confusion before saying, "This is your brother!?" The question made Dante sigh, looking to his brother.

_"Kill me."_ He mouthed to Vergil.

Vergil stood up, his height towering over Patty. "Yes, Dante and I are brothers, didn't you hear correctly?" His voice was enough to silence the young lady, who simply nodded.

"I-I apologise, I didn't mean to offend you sir." Patty looked down, her face red with embarrasment.

"I accept it. Now Ms Patty, as Dante has said, he could not attend your birthday bash due to an highly important mission in Redgrave city. Surely you've either watched or read the news?"

Patty looked up and nodded. "Yeah, I get it that Dante had to stop whatever was happening there."

"If it's any consolation Patty, I do have something for you." Dante said, taking a small wrapped present from one of the desk drawers.

The young lady's face lit up in an instant. "You didn't forget?" She clasped her hands together.

The red devil shook his head, "I got it before I left for Redgrave, I did say to myself that I'd give it to you once I was done." He handed over the gift, smiling.

Patty eagerly took it from his open hand, carefully tearing off the wrapping. Upon removing the paper, there was a black rectangular box, marked with a popular watch company.

She lifted the lift off the box, revealing a beautiful silver watch, adorned with pink diamonds around the clock. Patty turned it over to notice a personal engraving addressed to her.

**_Patty_**

"Oh Dante. . ." She beamed to a now smiling red devil, forgetting about his abscence from her birthday party.

"It did cost me alot, but I know you'll look after it." Dante said, noticing how Vergil nodded in approval of his gift.

"Thank you Dante." Patty moved closer to him, hugging, and thanking him.

"You better come to my twenty first birthday." She warned. "That goes for you too Vergil!"

Vergil quietly acknowledged her. "I'll be sure to be there." He confirmed.

Noticing the time on the clock, Patty exclaimed, "Oh gosh! I'm gonna be late for my lunch with my mother!" She hurried to the door, but not before bidding the twins farewell.

"Happy you're back Dante! Thank you so much for the gift, and nice meeting you Vergil!" And with that, she made her exit, prompting a sigh of relief from Dante.

"Quite a handful isn't she?" Vergil jokingly said, his brother scoffing in response.

"You have no idea brother, but she's got a good heart. She's a brave kid."

"Is there more to your day aside from being shouted at by troublesome youths, sleeping, and eating?" Vergil questioned his brother's routine.

"It's been over a week since we got back from the underworld. Can't throw you into the deep end can I?" Dante puffed out, noticing how his brother impatiently tapped his foot.

"I just wish to do my part Dante, rather than sit on my backside." The blue devil said in his usual tone.

It was all quiet until Vergil's cellphone begun to ring in his coat. The caller ID was Nero, so he answered, clearing his throat.

"Hello Nero."

_"Hey Father. You good?" _Nero asked on the other side.

"I'm alright, just annoyed at the lack of business here." Vergil looked to his brother accusingly, prompting Dante to hold his hands up.

_"Well you can always come work with me for a day or two, but only if you want to."_

Sensing that this could be an ideal way of bonding with Nero, Vergil eagerly confirmed his intentions, "That actually sounds like a solid plan. I'll use Yamato to reach Fortuna, saves Ms Goldstien her fuel."

_"Well okay, just make sure you don't suddenly appear in the garage, Nico's kinda jumpy whenever that happens."_

"Of course, I'll be there within the hour. I shall see you soon Nero." Vergil hung up, standing up to stretch his arms.

"Go spend time with him." Dante spoke in approval. "I'll hold the fort till you come back." He said as he leaned back.

"Alright, I'll be back within two days. I'll let you know when I'm coming back." Vergil finished his stretches, summoning Yamato at will.

Dante lazily waved him goodbye, shutting his eyes. Vergil slashed open a portal, he smiled briefly at his twin before walking into the rift, the portal vanishing in an instant.

_"Always gets chilly when he does that."_ Dante thought as he drifted into a slumber.

Fortuna city was lively as always. Citizens were going about their daily lives, birds flying above the now rebuilt buildings across the city, and within the bustling crowds, Kyrie stood in the center of it all. Everyone had gathered to listen to her voice, as she dedicated a song for those who lost their lives during the savior incident. Tears were shed as they remembered the horrific events that took place on that fateful day, but with those tears, also came a sign of better days. Kyrie's angelic voice had never faltered, as the many civilians listened to her song.

_Listen to my voice, calling you, calling you out of darkness, hear the devil's cry of sin, always turn your back on him. Always._

She finished off with her signature high note, and then the thunderous claps of joy followed shortly. Kyrie bowed to her audience, her eyes suddenly catching a familiar smiling face. Vergil managed to catch the last few minutes of the song, completely hypnotised by the songstress's powerful voice. He moved passed the dispersing crowd, eager to greet her.

Kyrie spoke first, "How was that?" She asked.

"It was. . . wonderful Kyrie." Vergil said with a hint of joy in his voice. "It reminds me of how my mother would sing from time to time." He fondly remembered how Eva would sing to him before bedtime.

"I am glad that you enjoyed my performance Mr Vergil." Kyrie spoke in a polite manner, proceeding to walk with the blue devil.

"There is no need for the formalities Kyrie, I suppose I am your father-in law afterall." The words came out easier than he thought it would.

"We haven't had much time for a proper wedding. . . We've been so busy looking after the children in the orphanage, Nero and I don't get the needed funding to even have one." She spoke with a sense of sadness, that they could not afford a small wedding.

There was always something to fix in the orphanage, Nero's latest demon hunting have been nothing but small time monsters, leaving the two with just enough money to get by. Vergil could see the sad look on her face.

"If I may Kyrie, I understand your position. You shouldn't give up on it." Vergil's firm voice was clear, which could make anyone listen.

Kyrie smiled and said, "We haven't Vergil, but the children need us, now more than ever." They continued to slowly walk together, engaged in a pleasant convesation.

"Nero has indeed showed that he thinks the world of you, I've seen it when Dante and I came back from the underworld."

"He always puts me and the children first." Kyrie said, "I think he would be a fantastic father. . ."

Vergil could only nod in agreement. "He's probably a better father than I would ever be." He quietly said, although Kyrie shook her head.

"You still have the time to be a father to him Vergil. Ever since you came back he's been eager to spend time with you, it's just that he does not wish to give you any hassle, which I'm sure it's not for you."

"You are quite a wise young lady for someone your age." The compliment made her blush.

"I'll make sure I make every moment count with him, you have my word Kyrie." Vergil spoke with a small grin.

"Wonderful." Kyrie said. "I'm making a roast dinner for everyone today, so I hope you're hungry."

_"Be a nice change from leftover chinese food." _Vergil silently nodded, keeping his inner thoughts to himself.

Nero hadn't had much to do for the past day or two, aside from looking after the orphans, this was considered downtime. Sure there were plenty of people who worked at the orphanage, but he liked spending whatever time he had with them. As for Nico however, she used the spare time to read documents that were originally her father's, learning about his foul experiments, his obsession with Nero's devil bringer, Dante, and Yamato. It made her sick that her own father was a delusional scientist, not even having the decency to spend time with his own daughter. She never shed a tear when she learned of Agnus's death at the hands of Dante, knowing that the son of Sparda did the right thing.

As she kept reading through the documents, Nico felt her eyes droop, the quiet jazz playing from the jukebox only amplified her drowsiness.

_"Maybe a little nap wouldn't hurt."_ She thought as she placed the documents into a red folder, placing it on her workbench before grabbing a blanket from one of her cupboards.

Her van was pretty much her home, with a shower, a microwave, and enough room for storage besides her collection of devil breakers, small firearms etc. Laying herself down onto the leather couch, she unfolded the blanket, wrapping it around herself like a burrito, an odd comparison in Nero's mind. The heat only furthered her desire to just shut off and rest, and so she did, content with the temperature, the smooth music, and the lack of noise. Her ears soon picked up the sound of two sets of footsteps approaching the garage, she sighed in defeat, knowing it would be to stupid to ignore whoever was approaching.

As she stepped out of the van, her eyes met both Kyrie's and Vergil's, sensing that he had talked with Nero about visiting.

"Nice to see you Vergil." Nico greeted him, smiling.

"Likewise Nicoletta." He replied. "Is Nero in?" He asked with a grin.

Nico nodded, "He'll be upstairs, probably trying to keep the kids occupied." She lazily pointed before returning into her van, moving back to the couch.

Kyrie could hear her lover's voice as she and Vergil ascended, the children sat in silence as they listened to Nero's dramatic story telling.

"The three trolls argued about how to cook their captives, one wanted to boil them, one wanted to deep fry them, and the other wanted to eat them whole!"

The children gasped at the thought, their fearful eyes fixated on their story teller.

"As they continued to argue amongst themselves, the youngest captive managed to wrangle out of the ropes, carefully tip toeing to free his friends. As the bickering trolls were occupied with each other, they paid no attention to the young boy freeing his friends, and together they decided on a little payback before leaving the cave!" Nero bore a mischievious smile as he spoke.

"What did they do Nero?" One boy asked.

"I think I'll leave it there till next week." Nero playfully said, the children groaned in annoyance. "I want you guys to come up with your own ideas about how they dealt with the trolls. Then, I'll tell you what they did alright?"

The children nodded and left for their dormatries. Nero sighed in relief as the children went back to the orphanage, their carers leading them back home.

"Do you always have to leave a story at a cliffhanger?" A soft voice said, catching Nero's attention.

Vergil and Kyrie entered the living room, with the young devil hunter smiling at the two.

"It helps fuel their imagination Kyrie." He said as he gave a peck on her cheek, then turning his attention to Vergil, who smiled in delight.

"Good to see you." Vergil said, placing his hand on his son's shoulder.

Nero responded with the same action, "How have you been?" He asked.

"I'm fine, just glad to have a change of scenery." Vergil said, carefully moving to the old couch, avoiding the one or two teddy bears which were left behind.

"Sorry bout the mess, I had to look after the kids for a few hours." Nero chuckled, picking up the teddies.

"You seemed to be in your element. The way you told those children your story, almost made me interested in it." The father sat himself down, placing Yamato beside him.

"Anyone see you teleport?" Nero asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

Vergil shook his head, "Used one of the alleyways. As I began to walk, I was captivated by Kyrie's voice. Your beloved has a powerful voice."

Nero agreed with him. "She brings the people together. After the Savior incident, the Order of the Sword were abolished. Now a council runs Fortuna, and everything's changed for the better."

"Do they still believe in Sparda?" The blue devil asked in curiosity.

"After what happened, the worship of Sparda isn't much of a big thing anymore." Nero placed the teddies on the coffee table, he continued.

"It's not lead to any mad cults if that's what you're thinking. I think the public lost faith because of Sanctus, and now the city is run by a council of people, rather than one person."

"I see." Vergil was satisfied with the answer. "So, what tasks do you have in mind for us after dinner?" He asked.

Nero chirped, "Have you ever been to Mitis Forest?" His father shook his head. "Well there's been sightings of demons wandering the forest, and a total of twelve people have been reported missing since the last month. Of course it doesn't take a detective to link these two together."

"So we'll head into the forest, find the missing people if possible, and deal with the source of it? Count me in Nero." Vergil said, a sense of excitement took over.

"Awesome! Hope you're hungry, because Kyrie is whipping up something amazing. After that, we'll grab some supplies before we head off."

"Wait. Supplies?" Confused by Nero's statement, Vergil sensed that there was more to this job than a quick demon hunt.

"Mitis Forest is huge, so we'll have to set up camp. Got a lot of ground to cover." Nero stated, hearing Kyrie calling everyone for dinner.

_"Camping trip huh?" _Vergil said in his mind. _"Guess I'm never too old to try something new. . ."_ He stood up, curious to see if his son will use his newfound power during the task.

_"Here goes nothing." _He followed his son to the dinner table, smiling at the opportunity of bonding with Nero.

**_Don't come to question, all that you've known._**

**_End of Chapter V_**

**Author's Notes**

**What awaits Nero and Vergil as they investigate the overgrown Mitis Forest? What horrors will they face? Well that is for our next chapter! Thank you all for reading!**


	6. Chapter VI: A Growing Bond

Mitis Forest was one of the places that changed dramatically over the years. This was due to the Hellgate that once housed the demonness known as Echinda, which caused the entire forest to become overgrown, bursting at the seams with large trees, wide and narrow rivers, and plenty of conveinient hiding places for demons.

Nero and Vergil had walked for hours, both mentally noting how quiet it was aside from the sounds of breathing and footsteps. With their camping gear strapped to their backs, the father and son switched into lighter clothing. Nero wore a black vest, with cargo shorts, whilst Vergil settled for a blue t shirt, with similar shorts. Yamato was practically glued to his hip, while Red Queen was on Nero's back, his belt holding two devil breakers for combat.

"You can still use those things Nero?" Vergil gestured to the contraptions.

"I can make my right arm vanish, enabling me to use them without issue." Nero replied as he jumped over a small river. "In a way, I gotta thank you for tearing my arm off." He dryly chuckled.

Vergil smirked, "I suppose you're welcome. . . Are we nearer to the location of the dissapearences?" He asked, noticing stone buildings in the distance.

"We're close, then we'll set up camp." Nero confirmed as they kept walked through the dense forest, unaware that they were being followed by a mysterious being.

Another thirty minutes later, they found themselves outside a temple entrance of some sort, unusual stone carvings were spread across the stone archway.

"Perfect." Nero stopped in his tracks, inspecting the carvings. "I think we've got ourselves a good start here."

Vergil took a moment to look at the carvings, he analysed each symbol with caution. "These carvings are not even a few months old. . ."

"If it's recent, then maybe we should set up camp here, see if anything shows up." Nero removed his backpack, taking out various tools.

"I-I've never set a tent up." Vergil awkwardly said, his son simply smiling back at him.

"First time for everything father, come on, let's give it a whirl." Nero cheerfully said, eager to teach him.

It must've been at least two hours of trying to put up two small tents, but Nero didn't seem to care. He was actually enjoying himself watching how his father began to figure out what goes where. Eventually they succeeded in building their tents, both drenched in sweat.

"Now for the fire, that way we'll cook up a little something for us. Just a simple dish mind you." Nero picked up Red Queen, he spotted a tree that had plenty of loose hanging branches. With a big leap, he used his weapon to cut off several branches without fail.

Vergil watched as his son slashed through with little resistance, the piles of branches falling to the grass below.

Nero landed, sastified with the large stack of branches. "Okay, better to have plenty than little." He puffed out before taking the branches to the center of the camp.

"Do we have the neccessary tools to light them up?" Vergil asked as he assisted with placing rocks around the sticks, making sure that it was wide enough to cook their food.

"Perks of having Red Queen." Nero said as he begun to set the wood together.

Adding a small dose of lighter fuel, Nero drove Red Queen into the ground, revving it against the rocks to cause a spark, lighting the campfire in an instant.

Taking out a pan, Vergil placed it on top of the fire, putting a dash of olive oil. Nero took out a box of raw steaks, large enough for both. With a bit of garlic thrown into the mix, and a spoonful of spices, Nero used a wooden spork to flip the seasoned meat, ensuring that they were cooked thoroughly.

"Smells good doesn't it?" Nero asked his father, whose eyes were locked onto the food like wild animal.

"Good thing I like mine well done." Vergil said. "I'd hate for us to have sore stomachs when we're fighting off demons." A dry chuckle escaped from Nero, who nodded in agreement.

"When I was a kid, Credo used to take me camping. . . He said that it was part of training when I was member of the Order."

"You seem to be adaptable to whatever enviornment you're in." Vergil could tell from his body language that he was no stranger to change.

"It's kinda drilled into my head. Learning to adapt quickly is the norm for me." Nero tapped his head to emphasize his words.

As Nero and Vergil ate their food, their stalker silently moved from tree to tree, using the dead of night as cover. Whatever the creature was, it was watching and waiting, just for the right moment to make it's presence known. . .

Except it did not anticipate a summoned sword appearing from behind, which rammed into the skull with swift precision. The corpse fell onto the ground with thud, causing Nero to jump into action with blue rose in hand.

The youngest demon hunter moved towards the body, recognising the familiar features. "Chimera. . ." He muttered, a sense of deja-vu took over as he inspected the body.

"You're familiar with these?" Vergil asked, keeping Yamato close to him.

"Yeah. The demon that spawned these things should be dead." Nero turned around, "Dante destroyed the hellgates that the Order built, so I can only assume two possibilities. The first being that there is a rift that requires sealing, and the second, another hellgate has been made. . ."

"Which means that the demons knew we were coming. . ." The son of Sparda muttered.

"Call it a long shot, but I think we won't be too far from where they've spawned." Nero moved to grab Red Queen, swinging it onto his back, followed by grabbing his belt of devil breakers.

As Vergil prepared, he could sense a demonic presence in the north of the camp. "We should head north Nero."

And so the duo left the camp, in pursuit of their enemies, and hopefully find the missing civilians. Eventually, they found themselves upon ancient ruins. The stone walls were completely covered in moss, and certain sections of the ground were flooded. The father and son could see that a demon was responsible for the flooded areas, as the smell of blood entered the air.

Soon enough the two had entered some kind of old arena, the only sound that accompanied them was the flow of water passing through underneath the ground, but that wasn't what bothered them. It was the erie silence within the forest that caused the hairs on their arms to rise.

"Nero. . ." Vergil whispered, "We should stick close." Nero quietly nodded, keeping his hand on Red Queen's hilt. Then, an unfamiliar voice spoke out of nowhere.

"You are not welcome here. . . This is my forest. . ." The voice hissed quietly, it's eyes locked on the demon hunters whilst silently moving underneath the flooded arena.

Vergil called out to the unseen creature, "We have no time for theatrics demon! Reveal yourself." He demanded, looking around him as he could feel the ground softly shake.

"Your scent is familiar. . ." The voice replied, "Are you the one who murdered my dear sister!?" The demon emerged, revealing itself to the duo.

Nero mentally noted the similarities between Echinda, and the enemy before him. The body was thinner compared to the original, and without a protective shell. This one had a sickly green colour, with brown blotches across the snake-like half of its body. The other half however, had the body of woman, her face obscured by a "mask'' of some kind, along with long dark green hair.

The demonness looked at Vergil with hatred and said, "Sparda's spawn. . ." She circled them as she analysed her prey.

"Where is Dante?" She asked, "You are not the one I was looking for. . ." The sound of dissapointment in her voice amused the blue devil.

"He has little time for the likes of you demon!" Vergil responded, holding Yamato as he sensed other demons approaching him and Nero.

Then Nero interjected, "You wouldn't happen to be responsible for twelve missing humans would you?" He asked, grabbing one of his devil breakers.

"Mere snacks." The demon tapped her stomach in a taunting manner. "Foolish humans should not trespass in my domain. . ."

As the demonness continued to talk, more and more chimera were gathering around, slowly climbing onto their mistress. They began to latch onto each other, their skins molding into the snake like body, as if they were creating the protective shell that was absent earlier.

Nero silently analysed the demon, noticing her upper body was the only part unprotected. The "mask" she wore seemed to act as a glowing beacon, like it was the source of her power.

"Nero." Vergil spoke, "Are we on the same page here?" He asked as took a fighting stance, preparing for what could be an entertaining fight.

The son smirked, revving Red Queen in anticipation. "I believe we are father, this bitch is going down."

The demonness raised her arms, "I hope you will put up a fight! I'm tired of hunting worthless prey!" Her roar was like a banshee, her body hardening like bark which acted like a shield.

Without uttering another word, the father and son leapt into battle, and the demonness responded, charging also towards her opponents. She bared her razor sharp teeth as she attempted to slam them with her lower body, only to miss by a hair, destroying a pillar in the process.

_"She's reckless. . ." _Vergil thought as he landed a strike, the hardened shell only receiving a mere scratch. _"Her upper body looks more vulnerable, but that is where she is most dangerous."_

Nero grunted in annoyance at the creature's shell, "That's a little neat trick! Too bad your sister couldn't do the same-"

"SILENCE!!" The demon yelled as she began to chase the young devil hunter, completely ignoring Vergil, who was thrown off her tail as she moved.

Due to the reckless nature of the monster, more and more pillars fell as her body wrecked havoc, unknowingly causing the water within the arena to rise, leaving only several platforms that still stood above it. The blue devil managed to land without too much trouble, catching his breath as he watched his son battle the demon.

_"Come on Nero."_ He whispered as the young demon hunter began to fight back with fury.

But the demon laughed at his attempts to pierce through her armour. "Pathetic whelp! My shell is unbreakable!!" She exclaimed before lunging towards Nero, who narrowly escaped her claws.

"Damn it!" He shouted as he landed on one of the platforms, "This bitch is starting to piss me off!"

The demon then set its sight on Vergil, her bared teeth were drooling with a ravenous hunger. Then she charged towards him, her claws reaching out as she charged with great speed. With little choice, the blue devil willingly let himself be grabbed by the beast.

"DAD!" Nero shouted as the demon held his father up, the large smile she had only fueled his anger.

"Let us see what a son of Sparda tastes like!" She opened her large mouth, the foul breath made Vergil cough, who felt her grip tighten on him.

It was a shame how oblivious she was to the fact that Vergil had her right where he wanted. . .

Without warning, he suddenly changed into his true devil form, forcing the demon to let go. The brief window of opportunity prompted Vergil to attack, unleashing a fierce slash from the Yamato. The blade successfully broke through the demon's face, who screeched in pain as the protective mask fell in two, revealing a horrible disfigured face.

"Impossible!" She cried, "What the hell are you!?"

Vergil let out a growl, "Your worst nightmare!" Nero watched as the demon's shell began to crumble, the chimera that were attached dropped dead, leaving her entire body exposed.

Not wanting his father to steal the spotlight, Nero entered his devil form, and leapt up high, driving Red Queen down into the tail of the demon. He dug deep, gripping onto his sword as the demon swung wildly in pain, attempting to shake him off.

"Let's finish this!" The younger demon called out to Vergil, who nodded as they both attacked. The two slashed and stabbed whilst the demon screamed and flailed wildly in a hopeless attempt to shake them off.

But it was all for nothing as her upper body was beyond recognition. Despite their furious assault, the demon was still breathing, just barely clinging on to life.

"Sis. . .ter. . ." She coughed out, blackened blood splattered the ground, and she looked at the victors before her, remaining in their devil forms.

"We may as well finish her off." Nero coldly said, holding Red Queen with an almost emotionless stare. Vergil nodded, but somewhat grew concered about Nero's sudden change of tone.

With one final strike, the sister of Echinda was defeated at the hands of father and son. The two switched back to normal, and they noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere, like the forest had become "normal".

"Do you hear that Nero?" Vergil asked his son, whose ears picked up the sound of crickets in the night.

"Yeah. . . It feels peaceful now." The young devil hunter smiled a little, "Sucks that we couldn't save the people. . ."

"Their souls will rest. We did all we could." Vergil turned to leave on that note, with Nero following behind.

By the time they made it back to their camp, the fire was still burning, a welcoming burst of heat emitted from the flames. They both sat themselves down, relieved that the demon had been taken care of.

"This has actually been nice Nero." Vergil said, breaking the awkward silence.

His son looked up with a smile, "You did a great job."

The blue devil shook his head, "**We** did a great job." He gave a small smile before looking into the flames. "I remember how warm the fire place would be on those harsh winter nights as a child. Dante and I would just sit and watch the flames dance away, drinking hot choco whilst waiting for mother to join us."

"Did your father ever do that?" Nero asked out of curiosity, noticing a small smile.

"He did, although mother would have to hide the marshmallows away from him. From what I remember, he had a very strong sweet-tooth. So I guess I now know where Dante gets it from."

Nero chuckled to himself. "The legendary Sparda, a powerful demon and marshmallow thief!"

Vergil suddenly began to chuckle. Despite his usually serious mannerisms, he found himself laughing at the thought of his father being a marshmallow thief.

"That's actually funny." He said quietly.

As the night went on, Nero and Vergil continued to talk about their upbringing, the good memories, and the bad ones. One thing is for certain, that Vergil didn't just take a mere step, but rather a leap into making things right.

**_Remember you are not alone._**

**_End of Chapter VI_**

**Authors' Notes**

**Hey everyone! Another chapter to the story, and another wholesome moment for Nero and Vergil.**

**I apologise for the lack of consistency, as work, family, gaming, and everything else inbetween has been keeping me occupied. But I'm doing well, and I will continue these stories when I have time and motivation. Thank you all again for reading, and I'll see you next time!**


	7. Chapter VII: A Cup of Tea?

After dealing with the demonic threat within Mitis Forest, Nero and Vergil took the time to rest to regain their strength. By next morning, they were up and ready to head back home, tidying up their campsite before doing so. Once they left the now peaceful forest, Nico arranged to pick them up, driving them back into the city of Fortuna.

Once the three made it back home, they cleaned themselves up, stored the camping equipment away, and they simply took the time to put their feet up.

"Man. . ." Nero yawned, "It's good to be home. I don't know about you, but the temperature was pretty wild in there."

Vergil nodded in agreement, "The heat in that forest was uncomfortable. I prefer the colder climates."

"Easier to heat yourself up than cool yourself down?" Nero glanced with a smirk.

Vergil laid back, "Indeed." He said with a smile. "Can I ask you something Nero?"

His son leaned forward, "Fire away."

"I said to you before I went to the underworld with Dante, that I wouldn't lose to you the next time. . . When we both have a time and place, do you think we can have a rematch?"

Nero remembered clear as day that Vergil wouldn't lose the next fight. There was a glimpse of discomfort in his eyes, but he knew that the question would come sooner or later.

"We should use the forest." Nero said, "That way we don't have to worry about anyone getting hurt. But do you think we can wait til' late winter?"

Vergil only smiled at the idea, "It's perfect. I'll be happy to wait until then. Of course, there will be no need to worry, as it is simply sparring between family."

"You better not hold back." Nero warned, supressing a smirk. "Because I sure as hell don't plan to."

Their fighting talk was suddenly cut short when the voice of Nico shouting grounded everything to a halt.

"SON OF A SHIT!!!" The loud clanging sound was most likely the gunsmith dropping her wrench in fraustration.

The Father and Son both sighed as they listened to Nico, who yelled an almost impressive number of profanities in the matter of a minute or less.

"Should we assist her with whatever she was doing?" Vergil quietly asked.

Nero shook his head and said, "Normally I'd go and see what she's done, but I'd rather not face her when she's pissed."

**_Meanwhile, back at Devil May Cry. . ._**

"You're what!?" Lady exclaimed in shock, not wanting to believe what Dante just said to her.

"It's only for a day Lady. I'm trusting you to keep an eye on Verge when he gets back." The Red clad hunter leaned back on his chair, folding his arms. "The job is a simple case of pest control, so me and Trish shouldn't be too long."

"So you're trusting me to watch him?" Lady asked in disbelief, prompting Dante to sigh.

"Yup. Besides, this is a chance for you two to cooperate with any job that comes around." He stood up, looking at the now fixed clock.

The huntress took a moment to think. _"Better pray that this is only for a day. . ."_ With great reluctance, she nodded, knowing that no amount of arguing with Dante would change plans.

Trish called out to Dante from outside, "Come on Dante, let's go before Lady gets cold feet!" Her playful taunt made her friend grunt in annoyance, followed by the Red devil's chuckle.

"I'll leave you to it." He said as grabbed Ebony and Ivory from his desk, and so he went off with Trish on an assignment, but before leaving, he gave an assuring smile.

Before Lady could add another word, he was already gone, leaving her alone in silence. She looked around the shop, noticing the cleanliness and how well arranged it was in comparison to its usual disorder.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Lady said out loud, her hectochromatic eyes turned to look at the picture of Eva, as if looking for guidance.

She gentley picked the frame up, taking a closer look, her mind going back to her own mother. After all these years, she still had time to think of Kalina Ann, in a time where they were happy.

She placed the frame back to its position, moving to sit on the desk chair. Lady didn't have to wait long as she heard the sound of a portal opening, her first instinct was to draw her gun, aiming at the door.

After hearing the sound of a sword being sheathed, she lowered her weapon, but still kept it close to her. The doors opened to Vergil, who walked in with a calm expression. He froze for a brief second as his eyes met hers.

"Where is Dante?" He asked quickly, looking around.

Lady responded, "He's away on a mission for the day with Trish, and has entrusted me to look after you." Her tone was blunt but not rude.

The blue devil kept his eyes on his surroundings, "He shouldn't have hassled you. I'm capable of looking after myself."

"I know. But Dante was persistant that someone needed to keep an eye on you." Lady moved away from the desk, placing her gun away. "Where were you anyway?"

"I was visiting and staying with Nero at his place. He required my help against a demon that was responsible for a case of missing people. We made short work of the beast naturally."

"Sounds like you two are getting along." Lady responded, a little surprised to hear Vergil mention Nero so proudly.

The Blue Devil nodded, "It is progressing." He sat down, looking to the Huntress. "Since Dante has enlisted you, would you care for a tea?"

Lady sensed that Vergil had no intention of fighting, despite their early history. It was almost worrying that he didn't attack at all. She took a deep breath, ready to give an answer.

"Sure."

**_I will be here._**

**_End of Chapter VII_**

**Author's Notes**

**I apologise for the short length of this chapter, mainly due to being uncertain about how to continue. For now I'll keep it subtle for Vergil and Lady. Considering current events with Covid-19, I'll have more time to write due to being a non essential worker. Hope everyone is taking care of themselves. See you in the next Chapter!**


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